The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-01
TEXAS BRIGANDS.

| SAN ANTONIO, Tex, October 30.--Ntt since
the days Of the Cortina raid years and years
| ago, has the Texan side of the lower Rio
| Grande existed under such reign of terror as
now. Brigandage reigns supreme. Business
| is paralyZed, and United States mails get
through when they can. Ranchmen stay close
! at home, and labor in the fields even is accom-
panied by unusual hazards and in no mans
| house is a light to be seen after dark. County
officials have telegraphed the state government
for aid Governor Ross himself does not
know what to do. Sheriffs and United States
marshals are powerless and the bandits are
once more, in fact, as they were once in song
| and in story. The Kings of the Border"
| Senior Manuel Guerro, merchant who israted
| at 100000, and who has shops in both Roma
and Rio Grande City, Starr county, is on his
| way to New York. He was seen by reporter
and gave the following account Of the trouble:
"You must first understand" he said, "the
coalitions of the country. 1t is billy. The
Rio Grandc runs through one long ravine,
densely covered with chapperel and cactus. 1t
is spaIsely settled and it offers shelter inn
pregnablo to hundreds of desperadoes. They
have always infested the country to a greater
or less extent. If they killed man in Mexico
they stepped across into Texas. If in Texas
they stepped across into Mexico. They had a
practically unlimited field in which to work.
Hitherto they have been disorganiZed. Now
they are undera leader who is at once the most
complete and dangerous man on the frontier of
either country. His name Antonio de Suewante.
He is young, handsome, educated, a most
daring and INSCRIPTIONS scOundrel. He is
native of this country and knows it well. He
has risen to fame in the past three months
through methods peculiarly his own. He has
not gone in for highway, mail or train robbery.
He has learned the methods of Italian brigands
and follows them exactly His system in
cludes capture, violent mistreatment and
heavy ransom or death. His first victim was
Senior Berrcna, rich rachman who resides in
Texas, fully sixty miles from the Rio Grande.
This gentleman was found near his home, was
Knocked down, beaten, bound hand and foot,
and tied on a horse, then driven for a day
and night through the brush. During all this
time he was blindfolded and given neither
water nor food. On the arrival at the rob-
| bers' headquarters, of whose location he is en-
tirey ignorant, he was held for twenty-one
days, until / myself paid the 81, 800 ransom de-
mauded for his release. He was half-staryed,
kicked, lashed and burned daily during all
this time, and was i'll hourly dread of losing
his teeth, it being a favorite threat of Suer-
! rante TO extract them all, and send them as
! presents to his friends. l paid the money be-
! cause l knew 1t was n matter of life or death
| with him. II has since been refunded me-
| Berrena was seventy years of age, and the ex-
| poSUre and brutality to which he was subjected
| have since resulted in his death. Owing to the
| fact that | have little money and Suelrante's
| people know it, have been expecting the levy
! ing of an assessment.
| 81 left Roma five days ago under p guard of
! six armed men, who escorted me as far as Pcna
! station, or the Mexican National railway by
! Associated Press dispatches this morning see
| that the expected demand has been made upon
! me since my departure, also upon Senior De
! Onacio Garcia. OF Rio Gande city. They want
! $4,000 from him and $1,000 from me. Ny
! part of IT, at least, they are not likely to get.
/ The governor has, of course, promised the aid
/ of the state troops but l don't see the good
/ TINT they can do, owing not only to the diff
/ Guilty OF the country and Sueuautes secure
| hiding place. bat the fact that nearly all the
/ poorer class are in league with the band and
| puposcly hide their Gen and cover up their
tracks. l estimate that some twenty-five men
belong to the gang.
/ "Suerr1nte is n magnificent rascal, who
| spends his ii-gottgn gains very freely. and is
| uniformly kind to the poor. They have, conse-
| QuentlY, invested him with good deal Of ro-
nance and many of them serve him and are
ready to Join him at any moment. l have no
heSllaney III predicting a desperate battle in
the region within the next month, and l am
by no means sure that Sueuautc will get the
worst of il. He has been extending his opera
tons into Mexico and l understand that au-
thOritieS and soldiers on the other side of the
river are on the qUi yiye. He may be caught
between tie two fires and he may not lie
is very smart man
Senior Guerra states that he will continue his
northern trip, though he is extremely fearful
of the destruction OF his property during his
absence. The widely spread information OF
the depredationS has caused intense excite
ment throughout this portion Of the state. and
volunteers for clearing out Starr aud HidalgC
counties Of the bandits are numerous.